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Yankees Re-Sign Tim Hill

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TODAY: The move has been officially announced by the Yankees.

February 4: The Yankees are bringing left-hander Tim Hill back on a one-year, $2.85MM contract, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Hill, a client of Paragon Sports International, will be paid $2.5MM in 2025 and has a $350K buyout on a $3MM club option for the 2026 season.

Hill, 34, opened the 2024 season with the White Sox but was released in June after being tagged for a 5.07 ERA in 23 innings with the South Siders. He turned his entire season around upon signing with the Yankees, for whom he posted a pristine 2.05 earned run average in 48 innings from mid-June through season’s end. He tossed another 8 1/3 innings during postseason play and held opponents to one run during that time.

The veteran Hill is a sidearming sinker specialist who relies far more on grounders than on missing bats. A whopping 68.2% of batted balls against Hill were grounders. Conversely, his paltry 10.7% strikeout rate was the second-lowest among all pitchers who tossed at least 40 innings in 2024. No pitcher allowed a higher contact percentage than Hill’s 88.7%, and none had a lower swinging-strike rate than Hill’s 5.7% mark. Even with the lack of missed bats, that huge ground-ball rate and a terrific 6.5% walk rate (5.2% with the Yankees) helped Hill to mitigate damage.

As one might expect from a player who so rarely misses bats, Hill yielded quite a few hits in 2024. Opponents batted .290 against him — an average of 10.3 hits per nine innings pitched. However, the overwhelming majority were singles. Hill faced 291 hitters and only yielded nine extra-base hits (seven doubles and two homers). He was more effective against lefties than righties, but neither hit for any power against him. Southpaw swingers hit .273/.321/.322, while righties hit .303/.352/.352. Hill’s penchant for allowing contact could theoretically get him into trouble, but with so many singles, so few walks and so many grounders, he saw eight double plays induced behind him; only 11 relievers in all of MLB generated more (five of whom also simply pitched more innings).

Prior to their agreement with Hill, the Yankees didn’t have a lefty projected to be in the bullpen. They didn’t even have a left-handed reliever on the 40-man roster. He’ll now join a relief corps headlined by trade acquisition Devin Williams but also featuring Luke Weaver, Ian Hamilton, Fernando Cruz (another trade pickup), Mark Leiter Jr. and JT Brubaker. Jonathan Loaisiga, on the mend from last year’s April UCL procedure, will join the group eventually but could open the season on the 60-day injured list.

The bullpen could expand further if and when the Yankees trade Marcus Stroman, who they’ve been shopping throughout the winter. The roster would have six starters if the season began today, but a trade of Stroman will thin out the rotation and perhaps free up some money to bring in another lefty and/or add the infielder the Yankees have sought this offseason.

Adding Hill’s guarantee to the books pushes the Yankees’ projected cash payroll to just over $285MM, per RosterResource. They’re already in the top tier of luxury penalization, which means Hill will come with a 110% tax against the $2.85MM AAV of his contract. That weighs in at a $3.135MM tax hit, bringing the total expenditure for re-signing Hill to $5.985MM. RosterResource now has the Yankees’ luxury ledger at a bit more than $305MM. Of course, trading Stroman could reduce that bill substantially, though there’s no feasible way that the Yankees would duck the tax entirely (or even scale their overages back to less than $40MM, which would be required to avoid the penalty that drops next year’s top draft pick by 10 spots).

J.J. Picollo Discusses Royals Offseason Pursuits, Outfield Mix

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A year ago, the Royals had just put the finishing touches on an extension with budding superstar Bobby Witt Jr. that served as a capstone on the busiest and most aggressive offseason the club had put together in years. That strong offseason effort led to an 86-win season and a trip to the ALDS, where they ultimately fell to the AL champion Yankees in four games. After making the playoffs for the first time since they won the World Series back in 2015, the Royals entered this winter with heightened expectations.

The returns of Michael Wacha and Michael Lorenzen as well as the additions of Jonathan India and Carlos Estevez serve as the foundation of a strong offseason, but comments from owner John Sherman and GM J.J. Picollo relayed by Jaylon Thompson of the Kansas City Star earlier today highlight that the club had bigger hopes for the offseason when it began. Sherman noted that the club made an effort to sign “marquee outfield bats” this winter and are continue to talk with some free agents, while Picollo elaborated further.

“That’s probably the one area in the two years we haven’t been able to reach our goal of getting that (offensive bat),” Picollo said, as relayed by Thompson. “It’s a little disappointing, but we can’t force teams to make trades they don’t want to make. We were active in the free-agent market; we just weren’t able to land the guys.”

Picollo and Sherman are alluding to the club’s failed pursuits of sluggers Jurickson Profar and Anthony Santander, who the club reportedly made two- and three-year offers to respectively before Profar went on to sign in Atlanta for three years while Santander headed to Toronto on a five-year pact. Either of those additions would’ve been a massive upgrade for an outfield mix that’s 79 wRC+ was tied with the White Sox for worst in the American League last year, but an external addition isn’t the only way the club can upgrade its offense in the outfield.

As Picollo notes, the addition of India can improve the offense, and it’s possible some of the club’s infielders can see regular time in the outfield this year as well. Picollo refers to sorting out where the club’s talent will play once the regular season begins as the “biggest challenge” facing the Royals as they head into Spring Training. Both India and Michael Massey are willing to play left field in 2025 and are under consideration for that role, while Maikel Garcia is under consideration for reps in center field as a potential platoon partner for Kyle Isbel. All three of those possible position changes have previously been reported, but Picollo’s comments made clear that a move to the outfield isn’t necessarily guaranteed for any one of those players.

“Jonathan (India) and Michael Massey both said they’re willing to play left field, which is great, but they are both infielders,” Picollo said. “So we need to see them out there in the outfield and see how they move around and figure out what is the best combination for us…it’s going to take time to figure out all the positions, which is different for us because we always valued the defense.”

If defense is the primary concern for the Royals when considering a potential move to the outfield for their infielders, Garcia has a far steeper hill to climb than either India or Massey. Not only is center field higher up on the defensive spectrum than left, but Isbel is one of the league’s most impressive defenders at the position with +10 Outs Above Average. Of course, Isbel’s right-handed complement at the position last year was Dairon Blanco, who turned in -1 OAA at the position and should be much easier for Garcia to surpass. Garcia, for his part, has never appeared in the outfield as a professional but rates well with the glove at third base, with +2 OAA.

It should be much easier for India and/or Massey to prove themselves viable in left. Their primary competition at the position currently appears to be MJ Melendez, who was among the league’s worst defenders in left field last year with a -6 OAA that ranked in just the ninth percentile among qualifying fielders. Neither India nor Massey has significant experience in the outfield, but both rank as average to plus defenders at second base and it’s easy to imagine at least one of them being an upgrade defensively over Melendez in left.

One other note from Picollo’s comments today that Thompson relays is that the Royals “would’ve liked” to add another left-handed pitcher to their roster this offseason. With southpaws Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic both already in the a rotation mix that runs six pitchers deep, it seems likely that any such addition would come in the bullpen. Angel Zerpa, Sam Long, Daniel Lynch IV, Noah Cameron, and Evan Sisk are the club’s left-handed options currently on the 40-man roster, though of that group only Zerpa and the out-of-options Long currently appear to be in line for a spot on the Opening Day roster. It wouldn’t be hard for the club to add a veteran arm to that mix even at this stage of the offseason, with Drew Smyly, Andrew Chafin, Jalen Beeks, and Ryan Yarbrough among the southpaws who remain available on the free agent market.

Padres Sign Connor Joe

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TODAY: The Padres have officially announced Joe’s contract. Joe will earn $1MM in guaranteed money, Acee reports, and another $1.25MM is available in incentive bonuses.

FEBRUARY 7, 9:45pm: The sides have an agreement on a one-year deal, writes Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune.

5:20pm: The Padres are nearing a deal with infielder/outfielder Connor Joe, reports Dennis Lin of The Athletic. Financials for the John Boggs & Associates client aren’t publicly known at this time. The Padres have multiple 40-man vacancies, so no corresponding move will be required.

Joe, 32, has been roughly a league average bat in his career but decent in a platoon capacity. In his 1,582 plate appearances, he has hit .242/.337/.391 for a wRC+ of 97, indicating he’s just been 3% below par. A right-handed hitter, Joe has a .254/.350/.415 slash and 107 wRC+ against lefties, compared to a .235/.329/.377 line and 91 wRC+ against righties.

Defensively, he is capable of playing at first base or in an outfield corner. He has five Defensive Runs Saved as an outfielder in his career. Outs Above Average is a bit more pessimistic, giving him a -7 score. However, both metrics consider him above average as a first baseman.

The Pirates could have retained Joe for 2025 via arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a $3.2MM salary, but the Bucs decided to non-tender him instead. That sent him into free agency without being exposed to waivers.

Though the financials of this deal haven’t been reported yet, it’s surely a fairly modest guarantee by MLB standards. That’s obviously attractive for the Padres, since the budget is clearly a major concern, as it has been for a while. Last winter, the payroll crunch was tight enough that they dealt Juan Soto to the Yankees. This winter, they’ve been fairly quiet, but rumors have swirled around players like Dylan Cease, Michael King, Luis Arráez, Robert Suarez and others.

The tight payroll situation is awkward because they have a few clear holes on the roster. Jurickson Profar hit free agency and signed with Atlanta, leaving an opening in left field. The first base/designated hitter situation is also somewhat open. Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim hit free agency and signed with the Rays. The Padres are going to move Xander Bogaerts from second base, his primary position last year, back to short. That will seemingly allow Jake Cronenworth to move from first base to second base on a regular basis. Arráez, who served as the designated hitter a lot last year, could be the regular first baseman. Useful part-time players like David Peralta and Donovan Solano also hit free agency at the end of last season, subtracting from the bench/depth area.

Having Joe in the mix gives the Padres some options. He could see time at first base, pushing Arráez back into the DH spot. In left field, Tirso Ornelas projects as the top option at the moment despite having no major league experience. Bringing Joe aboard will push Ornelas down the depth chart, though he could still push for and earn playing time, with depth options like Eguy Rosario and Brandon Lockridge also possibilities to earn at-bats. Ornelas is a lefty bat, so perhaps a platoon with Joe is possible.

The market for part-time outfielders has been moving steadily in recent days. In the past two weeks, Austin Hays, Adam Frazier, Ramón Laureano, Randal Grichuk and Harrison Bader have signed one-year deals ranging from $1.5MM to $6.25MM. Joe’s details haven’t been reported yet but it’s possible he’s in there as well. For clubs still looking for outfield help, players like Alex Verdugo, Jason Heyward and Peralta are some of the unsigned options.

RosterResource currently puts the Padres at a payroll of $205MM and a competitive balance tax number of $245MM. It’s unclear exactly how much wiggle room they have in terms of the pure payroll. As far as the CBT goes, they are currently just $4MM over the $241MM base threshold. It’s presumed that they would want to be below that line, which is understandable, given how close they are.

They didn’t pay the tax in 2024, so they would be a “first-time” payor if they did so in 2025, which would lead to a modest 20% base tax rate for their overages. However, paying the tax also leads to lesser compensation when it comes to players rejecting a qualifying offer and signing elsewhere. Cease, King and Arráez are all impending free agents and candidates for a QO if they stick with the club through the end of the year, which could incentivize the Padres to duck under the tax line by season’s end if they’re at all close.

Robert Suarez “Most Probable” Padres Trade Chip To Be Moved?

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While the Padres are intent on returning to the postseason in 2025, much of the buzz surrounding the team this winter has been about the possibility of higher-paid veteran players being dealt in order to help the team both address roster needs, and shave some money off the payroll.  Rumors have swirled around several of the Padres’ more expensive players, but as Spring Training nears, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune hears from two sources that dealing Robert Suarez seems to be “the move that appears most probable.”

This doesn’t indicate that Suarez will actually be dealt, of course, or that the Padres have any particular inclination to move the All-Star closer.  But, Suarez’s trade status might be elevated due to the simple fact that San Diego might be able to more easily replace him within the bullpen, and because the Padres’ other trade chips are comparatively trickier to deal away.

Among players mentioned in trade speculation this winter, Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth are owed too much in future salary to hold much appeal to other teams.  Dylan Cease and Luis Arraez are slated to become free agents next winter, and Michael King is in the same boat, as his contract’s $15MM mutual option for 2026 will surely be declined by either King himself or by the Padres.  Reports have indicated that if San Diego does trade a starter, Cease is likelier to be moved than King, due to the perception that King is the likelier of the two to be open to extension talks.  As for Arraez, the Padres reportedly have a particular interest in keeping him for at least 2025.

It all leaves Suarez as something of the odd man out, though plenty of obstacles exist on that front as well.  Suarez turns 34 month, and is owed $26MM over the remaining three years of the five-year, $46MM pact he signed with San Diego in November 2022.  That $26MM breaks down as $10MM in 2025, and then Suarez has the option of deciding whether or not to opt out of the deal to test free agency, or simultaneously exercise a pair of $8MM player options covering the 2026 and 2027 seasons.

Just two months ago, this contract structure was seemingly an obstacle towards a deal, as The Athletic’s Dennis Lin wrote that “for now” the Padres weren’t looking to trade Suarez.  Last month, however, the team’s stance seemed to change, as the Padres were thought to be more open to the idea of moving Suarez due to some interest on the trade market.

While many teams could use a high-leverage reliever, working out an acceptable trade return will be tricky for both sides.  Another team might only view Suarez as a one-year investment due to the possibility of an opt-out, while the Padres might view such a trade return as too slight for a pitcher who could end up providing his new club with three years of control.

Beginning his career pitching in the Mexican League and then a long stint in Nippon Professional Baseball, Suarez didn’t make his debut in affiliated baseball until 2022, when he made his MLB debut at age 31.  The Padres were impressed enough by Suarez’s NPB production to sign him to a one-year, $11MM deal during the 2021-22 offseason, and the team’s belief has paid off.  While his season was marred by injuries and a 10-game sticky-stuff suspension, Suarez was excellent in both 2022 and this past season, when he succeeded Josh Hader as San Diego’s closer.

Suarez posted a 2.77 ERA in 65 innings while closing out 36 of 42 save opportunities during the 2024 regular season, and added 3 1/3 scoreless innings during three playoff appearances.  One of baseball’s hardest-throwing pitchers, Suarez paired that velocity with an above-average walk rate, though other metrics (like his strikeout, barrel, and grounder rates) were all slightly below the league average.

Between Suarez’s age, his .256 BABIP last year, and a 3.53 SIERA that was significantly higher than his 2.77 ERA, a case can be made that the Padres could be making a wise move in selling high on Suarez in advance of any regression.  On the other hand, moving your closer puts more pressure on the rest of the relief corps, and thins out a bullpen that has already lost Tanner Scott to free agency.  Jason Adam or Adrian Morejon might be the most logical save candidates if Suarez is dealt, assuming that the Padres would stick with a full-time closer rather than a committee approach.

Rockies Considering Extension For Brenton Doyle

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The Rockies have had “internal discussions” about the possibility of signing center fielder Brenton Doyle to a contract extension, according to Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post.  There isn’t any indication that these considerations have led to any actual negotiations with Doyle’s representatives at the Ballengee Group, and given the normal rhythm of spring extension talks, in-depth talks or an official agreement aren’t likely to take place until closer to Opening Day.

Colorado has been pretty proactive over the years about locking up what the franchise views as its cornerstone players, most prominently past mega-deals for such stars as Todd Helton, Troy Tulowitzki, and Nolan Arenado.  The extension trend has continued since Bill Schmidt was officially named as the Rockies GM in October 2021, as the Rox have extended 10 players during Schmidt’s tenure.  The most recent of these pacts came last March, when Ezequiel Tovar was inked to a seven-year extension that will pay the shortstop at least $63.5MM.

Entering his third MLB season, Doyle has already established himself as arguably the game’s best defensive fielder.  Doyle has won the last two NL Gold Glove Awards and he added a Fielding Bible Award to his trophy case in 2024.  An elite throwing arm and elite speed adds to Doyle’s defensive prowess, and he took some important steps towards being a true five-tool talent when he hit .260/.317/.446 with 23 home runs over 603 plate appearances last season.

Factoring in Coors Field’s hitter-friendly nature, Doyle’s offense still checked in at below the league average, with a 97 wRC+.  Still, this was a drastic improvement over the 45 wRC+ he posted over 431 PA during his 2023 rookie season, with Doyle hitting the ball with much more authority in 2024 than he did the previous year.  His 7.6% walk rate and 25.4% strikeout rates remain below average, but the latter number in particular is a quantum leap from Doyle’s 35% strikeout rate in 2023, which was the worst in baseball among any player with at least 400 PA.

The underlying metrics point to substantive year-to-year improvement for Doyle, without too much luck entering the equation — his wOBA and xwOBA were virtually identical in 2024, and his .316 BABIP this year wasn’t far beyond his .295 BABIP in 2023.  A player with Doyle’s speed is likely to have higher BABIPs anyway, and that speed also manifested itself in the form of 30 stolen bases in 35 chances.

Doyle’s glovework is alone enough to merit a spot on a Major League roster, but providing even league-average offense raises his ceiling considerably as a lineup regular.  Since an everyday center fielder is among the rarer commodities in the game, it makes sense that Colorado would be thinking about a long-term commitment relatively early into Doyle’s career.

A fourth-round pick in the 2019 draft, Doyle is a bit of a late bloomer, as he was just a bit shy of his 25th birthday when he made his MLB debut.  With a year and 161 days of big league service time already amassed, Doyle is on pace to achieve Super Two status and an extra year of arbitration eligibility.  This doesn’t change the Rockies’ team control that runs through the 2029 season, but it does line Doyle (who turns 27 in May) up to start earning larger salaries earlier in his career.

An extension would therefore give the Rox some cost certainty on Doyle through those arbitration years, rather than deal with an escalating price tag.  On the other hand, since Doyle is already controlled through his age-31 season, the Rockies might not view an extension as a pressing priority.  Schmidt and his front office might also want a bit more evidence of Doyle’s improvement at the plate before making a multi-year commitment.

From Doyle’s perspective, it would stand to reason that he’d be open to extension talks.  Between his $500K draft signing bonus and minimum salaries in his first two MLB seasons, Doyle might view an extension as a great way to lock in the first fortune of his pro career.  There’s an argument for waiting from Doyle’s side as well, as he’d cash in to an even greater degree on an extension next winter if he can match or top his 2024 offensive numbers in 2025, since surely the Rockies would then be just as eager to solidify his place as a building block on their roster.

A Doyle extension would stand out the biggest transaction of a pretty quiet Rockies offseason, as Colorado hasn’t done much to improve a roster that has lost 204 games over the last two seasons.  While not exactly in a rebuild mode, the Rockies are clearly focusing on their young talent and on better health from several veterans (i.e. Kris Bryant, Antonio Senzatela, German Marquez) in order to make some type of forward progress in 2025.

Orioles Sign Dylan Coleman

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The Orioles appear to have reached an agreement with Dylan Coleman, as revealed by the right-hander himself on his Instagram account.  The 28-year-old Coleman has been looking for a new team since being released by the Astros last August, and presumably his new deal with Baltimore is a minor league pact.

Coleman threw one inning of scoreless ball in the Astros’ 8-0 win over the Blue Jays last April 3, which marked his only big league appearance of the 2024 campaign.  Houston optioned Coleman back to Triple-A the next day, and he struggled to a 6.50 ERA and a garish 23.9% walk rate over 36 innings with Sugar Land before being designated for assignment and released over the summer.

These extreme control problems have increasingly plagued Coleman’s career over the last few seasons.  His walk rates were middling during his time in the Padres’ farm system, and in his only extended stretch of MLB action.  Coleman posted a very solid 2.78 ERA over 68 relief innings for the Royals in 2022, and while a .247 BABIP and 12.8% walk rate stood out as warning signs, it seemed like Coleman was carving a niche for himself in the Kansas City bullpen.

It all went south in 2023, however, as Coleman had an 8.84 ERA in 18 1/3 frames for the Royals, plus a 4.70 ERA over 30 2/3 innings with Triple-A Omaha.  Coleman’s walk rates ballooned to an untenable 19.8% in the majors and 21.8% in the minors, and the Royals parted ways entirely by trading him to the Astros in December 2023.

Coleman’s fastball topped the 98mph mark when he made his Major League debut in 2021, though his velocity dropped to a 95.7mph average in Triple-A ball last year.  That still counts as a pretty live fastball, and Coleman recorded some big strikeout numbers in the minors along with a 24.2% strikeout rate over his 93 2/3 career innings in the Show.  The Orioles must feel there’s enough there to take a flier on Coleman in spring camp, as his 2022 numbers hint at his potential if he can limit his walks.

Padres Inquired About Westburg, Mayo, Basallo In Cease Trade Talks With Orioles

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Reports back in December suggested that the Orioles had trade interest in Dylan Cease, and MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko wrote today that the O’s and Padres indeed had some level of discussion about the right-hander’s availability.  However, it isn’t clear if talks have gone anywhere, as Kubatko reports that San Diego “checked on” some notable Baltimore players who “weren’t on the table,” including All-Star infielder Jordan Westburg and top prospects Coby Mayo and Samuel Basallo.  The nature of the trade discussion aren’t known, but presumably one of these three would’ve been the headliner of a trade package, with Cease (and perhaps other players) heading to Baltimore in return.

Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller is said to be looking for “significant major-league value” in exchange for Cease, and it is only natural that Preller would aim high when discussing perhaps his top trade chip.  Landing Westburg would have filled San Diego’s second base position for years to come, Mayo could’ve become the Padres’ first baseman of the future and very likely a contributor in 2025, and Basallo projects as a keeper at either first base or catcher.  San Diego already has one of the sport’s top catching prospects in Ethan Salas, but further adding to the future depth chart would’ve given the Padres an embarrassment of riches at a notoriously difficult position to fill.

For many of these same reasons, the Orioles obviously have no interest in dealing any of this trio.  As Kubatko notes, it is particularly unlikely that Baltimore (or perhaps any other team) would trade away premium controllable talent for Cease, who is slated to enter free agency next winter.

It should be noted that the Orioles did swing a big trade for a rental pitcher just over a year ago, when the O’s moved Joey Ortiz, DL Hall, and the 34th overall pick in the 2024 draft (Baltimore’s Competitive Balance Round selection) to the Brewers in exchange for Corbin Burnes.  That trade package has been suggested by many as a possible comp for what the Padres might realistically hope to land in a Cease deal, though the fact that the Orioles already depleted their minor league depth for Burnes might make them unlikely to make another splurge for a pitcher with one year of control.

The Twins, Mets, Cubs, and Red Sox are among the teams who have also been linked to Cease’s trade market at various points this winter, though reports have suggested that Minnesota and New York are unable or unwilling to meet the Padres’ demands.  The Red Sox already dealt away some noteworthy young talent to obtain Garrett Crochet from the White Sox, and might not want to move even more players to also add Cease.

With several weeks to go before Opening Day, it is certainly still possible any of these teams or the Orioles could re-emerge as possible trade partners, should the Padres lower their asking price.  On the flip side, pitching injuries in Spring Training might well bring some new teams into the mix, perhaps with some increased desperation that would make them more willing to cough up a bigger trade package that would come closer to meeting San Diego’s needs.

Since Burnes was entering free agency and ultimately headed to the Diamondbacks, an ace pitcher was widely seen as perhaps the top need on Baltimore’s offseason checklist.  While the O’s were known to have at least had some talks about some top free agents or trade targets, the club instead made more moderate pitching adds, signing Tomoyuki Sugano and Charlie Morton to one-year contracts.  Sugano and Morton join Grayson Rodriguez, Zach Eflin, and Dean Kremer as the Orioles’ projected starting five, with Albert Suarez working as a swingman in the bullpen, and the likes of Cade Povich, Trevor Rogers, and Chayce McDermott at Triple-A as further depth options.

With Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells also hoping to make late-season returns from UCL surgeries last season, the Orioles might end up having a surplus of rotation options if everyone is healthy.  In theory, it would make sense if the O’s offered one of the younger big league-ready arms as part of a Cease trade, as the Padres could then use that pitcher to take Cease’s spot in their own rotation.  But, with Eflin, Morton, and Sugano all free agents next winter, Baltimore surely hopes to dip into its depth to reload what might be a very different-looking rotation in 2026.

Derek Falvey Discusses Twins’ Payroll, Future Moves, Trade Market

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A very quiet Twins offseason finally started to pick up some steam this week, when the club signed Harrison Bader and Danny Coulombe to one-year guarantees.  Coulombe will earn $3MM, while Bader will earn at least $6.25MM, with a chance to earn more in 2025 based on incentive clauses.  (Bader and the Twins also share a $10MM mutual option for the 2026 season.)

For now, it adds up as a $9.25MM boost to the Twins’ payroll.  President of baseball operations Derek Falvey told reporters (including Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press) that the spending space came about after Twins chairman Joe Pohlad “greenlighted….the ability to add a little bit here to this team.  I think that’s a credit to them and certainly a tick up for us that allows us to add a little bit more to this roster that we feel already had a good base, but now we’ve clicked off some of those needs.”

While $9.25MM is a fairly modest sum by modern baseball standards, it underlines the narrow budget that Falvey and GM Jeremy Zoll are believed to have been working under for much of the winter.  Past reports indicated that the Twins’ 2025 payroll was going to roughly match their approximate $129.6MM payroll (hat tip to RosterResource) from last season, and the club’s lack of activity for much of the offseason was due to the difficulty in trying to both add to the roster while also shedding some unwanted contracts.  Christian Vazquez ($10MM in 2025) and Chris Paddack ($7.5MM) were two of the impending free agents widely viewed as trade candidates as Minnesota tried to balance the books.

It’s safe to assume the front office is still open to offers for either Vazquez or Paddack, though the Twins’ need to deal at least one of the two players doesn’t quite seem as glaring as it did even a few weeks ago.  The trade market in general, Falvey said, has somewhat cooled, which is perhaps why Minnesota turned its attention to free agents like Bader and Couloumbe to address needs.

“I think teams are a little more focused internally now as they’re ready to ship off to Arizona and Florida and try to get things squared away [for Spring Training].  Some of those last remaining free agents, I think that’s been the vast majority of the noise,” Falvey said.

The Twins’ outfield needs could explain why they stretched the budget to bring in Bader, who now fills a key role as the fourth outfielder.  The right-handed hitting Bader can both back up Byron Buxton in center field if Buxton again runs into injury problems, plus Bader can spell the left-handed hitting Matt Wallner or Trevor Larnach (Minnesota’s other projected regular outfielders) when a southpaw is on the mound.  Falvey revealed that the Twins had been targeting Bader for several seasons before finally landing the former Gold Glover this winter.

RosterResource currently projects Minnesota’s 2025 payroll at around $146.4MM.  It seems possible the number could still increase a little further, as Falvey said the team is considering other upgrades, even if minor league deals could end up being the preferred course of action to bring in roster depth.  A veteran first baseman on a non-guaranteed deal is a potential target, as this hypothetical player would bring some experience to a first base mix that currently consists of Jose Miranda and Edouard Julien as the top options.

Pirates Outright Alika Williams

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The Pirates sent infielder Alika Williams outright to Triple-A Indianapolis, reports Alex Stumpf of MLB.com. Pittsburgh designated him for assignment earlier in the week as the corresponding move for the Tim Mayza signing.

Williams has appeared in 83 games over the past two seasons. Pittsburgh acquired the former supplemental first-round pick from the Rays in a swap for reliever Robert Stephenson in 2023. The Bucs called him up not too long after. They’ve given Williams 207 plate appearances within the past couple seasons. He hasn’t made an impact at the plate, hitting .202/.257/.271 with no home runs.

The offensive upside has been a longstanding question. Prospect evaluators have praised his defense at both middle infield positions. Williams has shown solid strike zone awareness in the minor leagues, but he has never shown much power. He has 27 homers in nearly 1300 minor league plate appearances. His batted ball metrics at both the MLB and Triple-A levels have been middling, though his contact skills have translated to a solid .299/.376/.447 line over 367 Triple-A plate appearances.

This is the first time that Williams has been outrighted. He does not have the right to decline the assignment in favor of free agency. He’ll stick with the Bucs without occupying a 40-man spot and will get a non-roster invitation to Spring Training later this month.

The Mets Haven’t Done Enough With Their Rotation

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In nearly every aspect, it's been a banner offseason for the Mets. They signed one of the most coveted free agents in MLB history to the largest contract in North American sports. They brought back a franchise cornerstone their preferred way: a short-term deal that doesn't run the risk of overcommitting long-term. They re-signed the lefty who carried their rotation in the season's second half in what looks like a potential late-blooming breakout. They grabbed one of the most underrated relievers not just in this year's class but throughout the sport in general. Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, Sean Manaea and A.J. Minter make for a terrific quartet of headline additions, with a broad-reaching swath of depth moves also on the books.

Keeping Manaea was an undeniable boon to Carlos Mendoza's rotation, even if it came at a generally steep cost. As shown in MLBTR's Contract Tracker, Manaea is one of just five starters in the past decade to secure a $25MM AAV over three or more years beginning in his age-33 season or later. Teams generally are loath to commit this type of money in a pitcher's mid-30s, but the left-hander's performance and the bull market for starting pitching early in the winter coalesced to land him (and 35-year-old Nathan Eovaldi) a rare contract for pitchers in this age bracket.

The rest of the Mets' moves in the rotation, however, have been lackluster. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns came to Queens with a reputation of eschewing long-term deals from his time heading up the Brewers' baseball operations department. There was some question as to how much of that stemmed from Milwaukee's perennially bottom-third payroll and how much was a philosophical directive from Stearns himself. The two offseasons with Stearns at the helm for the Mets don't represent a large enough sample to say he simply won't go long-term for a pitcher under any circumstances, but signs point to the likelihood that his avoidance of large-scale pitching contracts in his Brewers days wasn't solely a product of owner Mark Attanasio's frugality.

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